17 Scars
by Hardwing
Summary: As they arrive home from their final bloody battle with Atalanta, Goliath and his clan face new trouble as the Canmore siblings make and it is revealed some scores are far from settled.


_I just want to thank the creators of DARK AGES for creating such a great background, and Storyseeker for correcting my fics and helping me with great ideas and for the characters of his ficverse._

**17. Scars **

Goliath made a movement to stop Demona from releasing the plague.

„Jason, look out!" Jon screamed at his older brother believing that the large gargoyle is attacking.

He shot, aiming on the Goliath, but Jason jumped in the path, the shot hitting him in the stomach.

„ No!" Jason screamed as the shot hit him, falling in Goliath's arms „It has to stop."

Jon stared unbelieving at his wounded brother.

***Hunter's moon part3***

"No sound." _a mugger said to a man in his fifties_

"Please you can have my money." The terrified victim said, sweating terribly.

"..ngela no we…" he heard a voice from above, making him stop.

_Angela jumped down between mugger and victim, protecting it._

"How do you dare!" she asked him.

"I know that we aren't supposed to do it." Angela defended herself _in front of her mate, Lexington and Bea_ "But you saw that look in his eyes."

A moment of silent prevailed until Bea sighed and laid her orange skinned claw on Angela's left shoulder.

"We saved a man and the government won't learn of it." she noticed, smiling at the gargess of the same age. "Sounds like a good night for me."

_Roland and Thailog talk._

"I for my part prefer my own… business," Thailog's smooth voice called him back to the present. "One where you don't have to fear an end with an open throat."

Roland recognized an offer when it was made, and began to….

'**BOOOOOMMM**'

The explosion, which threw Thailog to the ground and made Roland kneel down, caused the door to be thrown against the wall, and a deluge of sick smelling air.

Thailog coughed, trying to stand up.

Beside him, Roland discovered some piece of black wool lying on the door, and grabbing it he recognized it to be what they had "acquired" on their trip to Manhattan, a mask out of black cloth unlike his own, strangely covered by three slashes of old blood which reminded him of gargoyle claws.

The sound of steps behind him made him turn around, and with the echoes of silent whimpering in her back, Lucifia stepped out.

"He's here," she told them with eyes black.

And there in the darkness behind her back, Roland could see the figure of a man slowly rising.

*** the face of my enemy***

**13.09.98; 12:34; Macbeth Mansion, Entrance: **

"Thank you," the Scot said, subscribing the validation for the driver of the post that had been given to him.

"No problem, Mr. Macduff," the young man in his twenties with blonde hair, a bit too many freckles in his face, replied, taking back his form and handing him over the packet and some letters. "Getting much post lately?"

"Family matters," Macbeth replied with a slight, absent smile, watching the driver leave. After he was sure the man had left his estate, he walked back into the mansion, closed the door and pressed a button, which closed the entrance to his land.

Quickly, he overlooked the letter, and besides too many advertisements, he finally found what he was searching for. Putting the rest of his mail on the table near the entrance, Macbeth quickly tore it open and read the content.

"Bitch…" the immortal hissed and threw the letter beside the rest of the mail on the table, staring on it for a moment.

Seconds later, he shook his head and grabbed the rest of the mail, deciding to take care of that later, and began to tear open the packet.

*BOOOOMMM*

The explosion made the front door fall out of its angle.

**13.09.98; 13:52; JFK Airport New York: **

Robyn Canmore walked beside her brother who wheeled his wheelchair down the floor connecting the plane with the actual airport. Jason found that the need of waiting for someone to bring his wheelchair they had actually found a reason to wait and talk, which was maybe the only positive things he had from his disabled situation.

"No police yet?" Jason asked.

Robyn gave her older brother a short smile.

"Hard to believe," she explained. "At last he is holding his w…"

*RING...*

Robyn grabbed in her jeans jacket and pulled out a cell phone while she and Jason came to a halt.

"Canmore?" she greeted. "It has? Good."

Putting the phone away, she looked to her brother.

"The packet has arrived, too," she explained.

Jason nodded, his face showing no emotion.

"Then let us see how the Americans hold it with the right of access," he explained, adding with a slight smile. "It has been too long."

Seeing his sister reply the smile, Jason gave the wheelchair a quick shove with his arms, which had become even more muscular since he had last time left this continent.

'And this isn't the only visit I have to make,' the former Hunter thought.

**13.09.98; 14:27; Nightstone Headquarter, East Asia department: **

The social network of employers had forewarned them, which was rather good in companies where the employees had to work together to survive under a heartless chief... So this network was excellent.

Still, all but one of the five employees in the bright, white working room with four attaché cases on the large table in the middle of the room, beside various files, winced as the door opened.

The two women and three men, in their perfect clothing, looked behind them to see their CEO walk in, closing the door behind her as if to trap them… which probably came very close to the truth.

Dominique Destine's green eyes mustered everyone in the room, and she didn't seem to like what she saw.

One of the men, a man in his late forties, with red brown hair forming a beard around his face, and being cut in a militaristic short style at the rest of the head, and brown-gray eyes, rose.

"Give me one good reason not to fire you all and sue you for the millions you have cost me," she said in an icy tone.

One of the women, one with middle-length black hair and Asiatic features, heard the other who was blond, and of clear European ancestry, gulp and wish she didn't feel so frozen.

"Miss Destine, as leader of this group I take full responsibility for..." the man began.

"I'm not interested in this." His CEO brushed him off, her voice almost cutting, chilling the room. "I'm completely aware who leads this group, and Villiers has already given me a report. What I want to know is how you plan countering the damage you all caused to this company by allowing Taro Industries getting the deal we believed was already ours… By a _translation error_!"

The last words were hissed, and the Asiatic woman felt herself becoming unable to even breath, and by the silence in the room she believed the other persons felt the same.

"Thought so," Dominique Destine concluded, staring on the man.

"Miss Destine, I was…" the Asiatic woman heard someone say, realising half a second later that it was actually her.

"I'm fully aware where the responsibility lies, Miss Xue," her boss stopped her, her eyes centering on her for a full second, then taking a short look over the room, and looking back on the man standing in front of her. "We will go in my office, Mr. McOwen, where we will discuss the consequences."

Without waiting on a response, Dominique left the room with McOwen following her, but not before giving Xue a look, followed by a short smile.

When both had left the room, a collective sigh seemed to emit from their mouths, having held their breath too long.

"Guess we have to order some flowers for his funeral," a brown haired man joked.

No one laughed.

**13.09.98; 19:27; Castle Wyvern, Goliath's Roosting Place: **

Refreshed, and with a loud roar, the second of the clan greeted the night, taking himself a moment to look over the castle while the rest of his clan did the same. He felt relieved, as Nia and her clan were safe once more, and Goliath was coming home while Elisa awaited him already at the airport. There should no problems…

"Ähem." A cough made him turn around and discover Owen standing there with the usual emotionless expression on his face.

"What happened?" Brooklyn asked, alarmed, jumping down the perch. "Another visitor of another dimension?"

"A situation has arisen that concerns your clan," Xanatos's major-domo noted, not going in on what nearly sounded like a joke. "You better see it in the television room… I took myself the chance to turn it on WVRN already."

Brooklyn stared on him for a second, and then he jumped off the battlements, gliding down, landing near the castle's walls where Broadway and Angela were hugging, while Lexington and Bea were talking. He paid none of them any attention.

"Hey, broth, what's up?" Broadway asked after letting Angela loose, noticing his seconds' hurry, but not his grim face.

"Trouble," Brooklyn simply stated, walking into the castle.

His four siblings looked at each other in bewilderment before following their second.

They hurried, but they actually managed to reach him in the television room where every question died in their mouth when they saw the person on the television….

"… and then they jumped… glided down the building, I can't say exactly… but they came down and naturally shocked me and this criminal even more…" the man who might be in his fifties, or somewhat younger, with glasses and his gray hair worn as a knob, said. "I mean, I very nearly got a heart attack you know, when the large female with the brown hair and lavender skin snarled or even the thick olive skinned one… It was frightening!"

Brooklyn, standing near some couches usually occupied by the elders of the clan, took a short irritated look over his shoulder to where Angela, Broadway and a growing crowd of other Gargoyles were standing, before turning back to the television.

"So you say they intervened despite the laws of the city prohibiting them of such?" the reporter, a brunette in ending-twenties, asked, the image slightly disturbed by a flickering at the right side of the monitor nobody paid attention to.

"They said so…" the man replied. "I mean, I really should be thankful for their help, but the man just wanted my money, and it was because of their arrival that he drew the knife and nearly killed me…."

"He's lying!" Lexington shouted angrily. "The thief had the knife at his throat when we arrived!"

Brooklyn didn't turn around, but looked further.

"So their intervention brought you in danger?" the reporter noticed, rather than asked.

"Yes," the man replied.

"Thank you, Mr. Perry," the reporter concluded, looking into the camera. "This is Christine Bullet of WVRN, and I close with the question of whether the sky is really safe, and later we will ask the police district if…"

Brooklyn switched the sound off and turned around, facing his four siblings and the other Gargoyles who had watched.

"It was really not this way," Bea began. "The human…"

"It's probably one of Lucifia's followers," Brooklyn said in a controlled neutral voice. "Like the man who attacked him."

Silence raced, as the meaning of these words went through the gathered Gargoyles minds.

"It was my idea," Angela said, stepping forward in front of the group. "I left them no choice, so if you need to punish someone then punish me."

Brooklyn looked a second at the Gargoyle he had once tried to court, seeing Broadway lay a claw on her shoulder as a supporting gesture, and at the same time he saw some elders standing behind them, watching the scene with stone faces, and sighed.

"In the rookery," he said, taking a deep breath. "All four of you."

"Hey, we don't…" Lexington began.

"That's an order!" Brooklyn cut him off; sounding irritated enough to make his smaller brother look at him in surprise. "You will stay there until Goliath comes, then he will have to decide the rest."

His four siblings looked on him, stunned, Lexington looking almost hurt, but it was Broadway who moved first, leading his mate with him.

"Come on," he told the other three. "The second spoke."

So the four left the room, but not before giving him one last look, during which Angela nearly was going to say something, but was cut off when Brooklyn shook his head.

After his siblings had left the room, and the rest of the clan present still looked on him, Brooklyn could no longer bear it, and turned his head back to the TV, once again showing a flickering, seeing a reporter back in the studio saying something in front of a back screen showing.

'_Gargoyles a threat?_'

~ A calm night would have been too good, ~ the second thought.

**13.09.98; 19:43; 23rd Police Distinct, The Evidence Room: **

Balnetti looked over the room containing knifes, guns, blood-samples and various other things planning to be used as evidence.

Putting the plastic bag in his pocket, the detective walked out of the room, closing the door behind him, looking on a floor he had left empty since all his 'comrades' were watching the news.

A cleaner in a blue working suit with brown hair watched him, interested.

Giving him a nod, Balnetti took the bag out of his pocket and threw it on the cleaner who caught it.

"Tell her I want my fee tonight on my account," he said.

The cleaner just nodded, putting the bag into one of his suits' large pockets, and left down the floor.

**13.09.98; 20:56; The labyrinth: **

Burbank sat in a corner on the long since abandoned subway rail, watching two rats making love… or maybe fighting to death... some metres away.

"Brother?" Delilah's voice called him from behind, but he didn't turn around to look, but watched the rats. "They are saying we have to be ready to go."

A moment passed until Hudson's clone looked back at his sister.

"Back with master... " he said silently, for he knew Maggie and Talon didn't like to hear them call Thailog this way. "...How did you show you loved him?"

Delilah looked in surprise at her brother, and then she told him.

**13.09.98; 21:12; Castle Wyvern, The Courtyard: **

Brooklyn looked over the courtyard from the highest tower, and thought.

The news about the human's 'unlawful' rescues had been spread around pretty much every news station so far, yet… the reactions hadn't been as negative as the first one, though the underlying question if they really could be trusted remained.

Then there was the fact that he had just thrown his two closest brothers, including their girlfriends, in the rookery…

Down below he noticed Demona, Darlene and her children landing, accompanied by their bodyguards… he even noticed that Darlene seemed to have gained weight since the last time he had paid attention to it.

"Interesting to see how the traitor will react when she learns you sent her favorite daughter into the rookery?" a voice told him from behind.

"I couldn't care less about that, sister," Brooklyn replied coolly without turning around, recognizing the voice of the gray, hairless, prank-loving sister too well.

"Then maybe the leader's reaction," the voice continued. "It is an open secret that he favors her above…"

"Joining Kronos then?" Brooklyn asked, turning around to face her.

"Oh no," his sister replied teasingly. "I was just wondering how you feel now. You know, I and my sisters betted who would be the next one of you three landing in the rookery… but that one of **you **would send the rest in… who would have believed that."

Her brother just stared at her, knowing very well on whom she bet.

"Grow up," he simply replied.

"At least I have a mate," she countered.

Brooklyn felt a growl rising in his breast, and he asked himself if he could somehow justify giving her some more months of extra duty for this disrespect.

"Second," a voice called him out of his promising thoughts.

Seeing behind his sister's back, he discovered Othello.

"Macbeth's arrived," the Hunter said. "He said he wanted to speak with the leader."

Brooklyn nodded, seeing no problem in this. It had been some time since Macbeth had visited them, but it wasn't…

A thought hit him like lightening, and he turned around to the courtyard where Darlene, her family and most important Demona was just entering the castle.

~ Oh no… ~

**13.09.98; 21:18; Somewhere, Monitor Room: **

Thailog sat on a chair in front of twelve monitors, of which eight were active, two showing rooms of the 23rd distinct, more accurately Captain Chavez' currently unoccupied office, and the center of the clock tower where one Gargoyle and one human officer were meeting seemingly for going on patrol.

The clone centered on the other six monitors instead, which showed castle Wyvern, consisting of the courtyard, three other rooms on the other monitors, and the Great Hall on two monitors where just now two immortals seemed to clash.

"So," Roland asked him, standing beside the monitors. "You never told me your reasons for joining this."

Thailog didn't take his eyes from the monitors, where the discussion between the two immortals heated up to the point that two gargoyles between them weren't enough to stop it.

"She offers me revenge against the Gargoyles who robbed me," the clone said. "Their righteous…"

He stopped when he heard the agreeing growl emitting from Roland's lips, seeing the physically younger Gargoyle's eyes glowing white.

~ A shot in the dark… ~ Thailog thought with a smile, which he hid behind his claws, never taking his eyes from the monitor showing the Great Hall where just now the Manhattan clan's second was trying to keep order of the situation.

**13.09.98; 21:21; Castle Wyvern, Great Hall: **

"**SHUT UP FOR HELL'S SAKE!**" Brooklyn yelled in the place of 3 meters, which now divided the two immortals, and for a moment it seemed to work…

Or rather Darlene, Diomedes and Desdemona who had built themselves up in front of Demona, together with a Gargoyle, bearing an extraordinary resemblance to Brooklyn except for a white beard, who stood in front of Macbeth.

"I won't allow any of that in our home," Brooklyn said, looking back and forth between the two ancient foes. "Understood?"

"Aye, lad," Macbeth answered, straightening himself and standing there with natural dignity. "I came to talk, not for a fight."

The last words were directed to Demona, to whom Brooklyn now turned his attention.

"Demo…" he began, but was stopped by her snarl.

The Gargess had begun to walk, with blood red eyes, down from the wall of Gargoyles blocking her path.

"Mother, please," Darlene tried to reason with her, placing herself in her way.

Demona's response consisted by pushing her pregnant daughter away, making her stumble backwards in shock, but out of pure luck didn't fall.

Every one of the Gargoyles gathered in the room seemed to gasp or stare, but Demona just turned her attention back to Brooklyn without even paying her daughter, who was holding her stomach, a look.

"I won't…" the immortal Gargess began.

"**Enough!**" a deep determined voice stopped her.

Taking a look to the door, the gathered Gargoyles discovered their leader, his human mate, Hudson and Deborah had just arrived.

"You can't…" Demona began.

"You are banished," her former mate replied, stopping her. "I don't want to see you here for three nights."

The silence now lying over the Great Hall was as thick as syrup.

Demona glared for a moment at Goliath, then she snarled and moved in his direction, making the large Gargoyle step aside to place him in front of Elisa who was standing by him.

Demona passed them, heading for the door without paying them a look, with Deborah and Hudson watching her leaving in scorn.

"Now what is going on?" Goliath asked, directed to his second.

**13.09.98; 21:33; Lucifia's Headquarters, Personal Quarter: **

In the room filled with vials of unknown contents, cages and various blades, Lucifia unpacked the package on the table in the center of the dark room, beside an iron dish and a small, ornamented dagger.

Pleased by the sight of the thing in the plastic bag, she used the dagger to cut it open and then let the nearly watery content fall in her claws.

What she felt pleased her even more.

Quickly, she laid the thing in the dish, and used the dagger to cut the palm of her left claw open, letting the black blood flow in the dish, covering the thing.

Lucifia waited, staring in the dish with her black eyes, when suddenly the thing twitched.

Demona's daughter smiled…

**13.09.98; 21:35; Castle Wyvern, Rookery: **

"It is getting full here," Lana noticed, sitting on the ground beside Ruth.

Five other gargoyles of her age didn't respond.

"Can't believe he did it," Lexington said in a moment, his arms resting on his knees as he sat on the ground, staring frustrated to the door of the rookery.

"It wasn't as if he had much of a choice," Broadway commented, watching his brother being comforted by Bea. "Kronos…"

"Oh, stop with him," Lexington insisted, irritated, looking at the clan's cook. "Everyone would have understood if he had waited for Goliath."

"Do you think father has arrived already?" Angela asked, trying to lead the discussion in another direction.

Bea stared on her.

"Do you hope for it?" she asked her adopted sister.

"He'll surely understand…" Angela began.

"That we disobeyed an order," Broadway finished for her.

"But we just…" his mate tried again.

"Disobeyed an order," the thick, aquamarine Gargoyle noted in a calmer voice.

Angela stared on him, realizing that maybe they had bigger problems than she had thought before.

"Brother, if you are sentenced for long, is there any chance we will get permanent kitchen duties?" Ruth asked from beside Lana. "I think I have changed enough diapers for twenty years."

Broadway's response consisted only in a stare.

**13.09.98; 21:37; Castle Wyvern, Medical station: **

Moore pulled a syringe out of Darlene's arm, and looked at it.

"We will send this to Sevarius," he explained with visible disgust. "But I don't think your problems are anything he can't solve."

The doctor held his look on her, though Darlene moved her face away, holding a piece of cotton on her arm to stop the bleeding… knowing he had at least learned from what happened in the great hall.

"Stress is bad for someone in a pregnancy," Moore insisted. "Especially in your case. You should avoid everything, which causes you such."

~ Does he even know what he is talking about? ~ Darlene thought… deep down fearing he knew.

"Thank you. Doctor," the pregnant gargess said, standing up from the bed she had sat on. "Please inform me when you know more."

Not wanting to hear more of the doctor, Darlene walked past him straight to the doors of the station.

Behind them, Desdemona, Thersities, Fuchsia, Elisa, Jarred, Connor, Eve, Jane and surprisingly Delilah waited.

Darlene managed to smile.

"I'm fine," she tried to calm them down. "Is Angela on patrol?"

**13.09.98; 21:46; Castle Wyvern, Courtyard: **

Angela found herself the center of unwanted interest as her mate, as ordered, told the story of that night, how they saved the man from the theft despite their strict order not to interfere… something that seemed now to be planned by Lucifia.

As Broadway slowly came to the conclusion of the story, she let her eyes wander around, seeing all the clan gathered around them, even Lana and Ruth had been allowed time out of the rookery to take part in this, and now looked on them in sympathy.

At last, her eyes went to Lexington and Bea standing close beside her in the circle, and then to her father… her leader standing in front of them. Brooklyn was to his left, Elisa to his right, and Hudson with Deborah and Bronx who pressed himself close to the old gargoyle, behind the second. There were even so Darlene, Asrial, Desdemona, and Othello….

Finally, Broadway had ended the story by pointing out that they had just acted since they believed the man to be in acute danger.

Goliath watched the younger warriors for a second before his daughter stepped forward.

"Leader," she said in a firm voice, eyeing her father. "I jumped in the alley despite their warning, so they were just trying to protect me."

Goliath showed no visible response, but watched her sternly, and Angela felt the claw of her mate on her left shoulder.

"I know, but they still lied to the clan, which may cause us harm…" their leader finally began in a stern voice. "Two weeks of extra duties for them. For you… one month in the rookery including prolonged duties, excluding patrols since you won't leave the castle until you show you can be trusted."

The last words made Angela stumble a bit backwards while she watched her father in disbelief.

~ **Not to be trusted? **~ Angela thought unbelieving, feeling her heart stop for a moment.

"This is…" Angela heard Lexington say angrily.

"You can't…" Bea began.

"**Goliath, we all made the decision**!" Broadway nearly screamed on his leader. "**In the years before, we always**…."

"This is an order!" Goliaths said in a tone, which made clear it was his final decision, never taking his eyes from Angela. "Go now."

She stared at her father for a moment longer, then she left, running out of the circle to where she knew was the rookery, not even feeling the tears on her cheeks or how her mate was following her.

Back in the Great Hall, Goliath did his best to ignore the shocked looks of his mate and his second.

"This meeting is over," the leader of his clan said, and left in the direction of the castle.

**13.09.98; 22:07; Brooklyn, Church of Saint Agnes: **

The woman, brunette hair, clothed in street clothes, sat there in the foremost line of church, sunken in herself, just shortly looking up to cast a glance on the cross hanging over the altar, just to make her eyes wander to the baptismal font… she felt a shudder run through her whole body.

"Cassy?" a friendly voice asked.

The so called looked up, seeing a priest in his usual black clothing coming near, his wrinkled face showing worry.

"What is it, child?" he asked.

The woman just shook her head.

"Nothing," she lied. "I'm just happy that I can leave this city, this…"

"It will be alright," the priest said, sitting beside the woman, and laying one of his hands over hers. "Whatever this cult is, they won't find you. We did this for former Satanists already."

"They are worse…" the woman said, and felt the shudder run once again in her depth. "They…"

"We can talk about it when you have arrived," the priest stopped her, seeing that talking about it now would upset her even more. "You will see it is safe."

Cassy nodded, feeling better by the words despite the coldness she felt in herself.

"The car will come any minute," the priest said, standing up again. "We can wait outside."

The woman nodded, standing up and following the priest to the exit of the church.A man caught them up near the doors, seemingly coming out of the shadows, and walked straight for the priest, making the woman move two steps backwards.

"Tom, what is…" the priest began, but the so called man whispered something into his ear. "Oh, I see."

The priest turned to the woman who had managed to calm down, but still nervously held her hands.

"I'm sorry, I have a short business for a minute," he said with visible hesitation. "Please, wait outside for the time being. I should be back when the car has arrived."

The woman fought with herself, and then she nodded, fearing she would look like a madwoman to him.

"God is with you," the priest said reassuring, then he left with his assistant in the direction of a door leading deeper into the church.

Left alone, the woman pondered with herself, asking herself if she did the right thing, if she should have told the priest her real name.

Carefully watching every step she took as she walked out, taking a glance at the deep shadows thrown by the church, then to the street, which was bare of any human soul, yet filled with parked cars.

The woman who wasn't Cassy walked further, until she had reached the end of the steps to the church, it was then that she noticed a car to her left, a green family car, which wasn't empty at all.

She took one step back until she had caught herself, realizing this could very well be the car the priest had told her about, the car to safety, but as much as she tried to see the man sitting in it she just saw his shadow.

"Are you here to take me?" she yelled at the man.

His response consisted opening the door and stepping out.

"Sure we will…" the man, as old as the woman, dressed in an expensive black shirt and likewise expensive jeans, said "Come home, darling. We all _await _you."

His eyes seemed brilliant blue, but for her they looked dead, almost black, making her stumble backwards-in disgust and pure fear… just to feel a man back behind her.

The man, wearing a long brown mantle and dark jeans, grabbed her, holding her mouth shut and a second later…

*snap*

The man with the black mask carried the limp body over to the man by the car who carefully, almost lovingly, took it and placed it on the backseat of the car, and once again sat on the driver's seat while the man with the black mask had already took his place beside him.

Silently, the car drove away.

Seconds after the car had drove around a corner, the priest stepped out of the church, discovering no one.

"Cassy?" he asked wondering.

**13.09.98; 22:12; Castle Wyvern, Elisa's Quarters: **

Standing in the center of the room, a couple had a less pleasant discussion.

"Why can't you admit this was wrong?" Elisa shouted on her mate.

"Because it wasn't," Goliath replied, becoming constantly irritated. "She didn't follow a direct order and was punished."

"It is a wrong order," the cop replied, tensed. "You know it."

The leader of his clan remained silent for a second, removing his anger in breathing out loud.

"I do. Do you think it is easy for me, gliding over the city and not doing anything when I see someone out there in trouble?" Goliath said. "But this order was based on **human law**."

This argument seemed to get through Elisa, and she calmed down visibly, her eyes getting a softer tone.

"I know, and as detective I have sworn to uphold the law, but…" she stopped for a second. "If I were out there, seeing people in trouble, I don't know if I could stand aside."

Having said this, Elisa looked around the room, discovering the painting they had made on that day in the park maybe ten days ago… a time which seemed much longer now.

"Maybe the term was right," she admitted, looking at Goliath again. "I know you try not to give her special treatment. But the way you spoke to her, you hurt her more than you could any other rookery child, and this is a way of special treatment, too."

Goliath thought about this, then he sighed.

"You're right," he admitted. "I will speak with her later."

Elisa smiled, and came closer to her mate, embracing him and giving him a kiss.

"Now come sit down and tell me what you didn't want to tell the clan," she asked him, sitting down on the bed.

Her mate did.

**13.09.98; 22:15; Castle Wyvern, Rookery: **

Broadway enjoyed the warmth of his mate in his wings while he held her in his embrace, as they sat alone on the ground, since Ruth and Lana had somehow managed to get away… something both of them were grateful for.

"Thank you," Angela whispered, breaking the minutes of silence.

"That's what mates are for," Broadway replied with a smile, smelling the scent of her hair.

"I shouldn't have reacted that badly, the others…" his mate began, looking at her mate with tear-streaked cheeks.

"Don't worry about that," the big aquamarine Gargoyle said, thinking that she somehow looked even more beautiful at the moment. "We can…"

This moment, the doors of the rookery opened.

"Enough you two," the yellow-skinned, white-haired elder, holding a vivid bald hatchling with pale green skin in her arms, ordered.

The mates rose under the scornful glance of the older Gargoyle while several other rookery mothers behind her came in, likewise carrying hatchlings and looking at them interested.

"You have still kitchen duties," she told her aquamarine rookery son, watching them both. "And you, young one, haven't been sent to the rookery to have free time with your mate."

The younger Gargoyles looked embarrassed for a moment.

"We still need some hands in the kit…" Broadway began.

"Forget it." the rookery mother stopped him. „She has rookery duty now."

"I will see you later," Broadway told his mate, seeing that discussing with his mother hardly made sense, embracing her one last time and whispering something in her right ear before leaving the rookery.

Seeing the longing look the younger Gargoyle threw after her mate, and feeling a pain in her side, the yellow-skinned elder pressed the hatchling into Angela's arms.

"He needs a change," she explained.

Angela could actually smell it.

**13.09.98; 22:23; Castle Wyvern, Courtyard: **

Letting another cargo of shed stone skin fall from the sweeper down in the bucket, Lana pushed some sweat away from her forehead and looked to Ruth who was busy with the same work.

"How much to you think all these weigh?" Lana asked, bored. "I mean, all around the castle?"

Ruth looked up, thinking for a moment, hearing sounds and voices in the sky.

"Hundred, two hundred pounds maybe," the gargess guessed. "A lot turns to dust, and many pieces just decay…. Besides, some fall off the castle."

Lana stared down over the parapet, way down the castle.

"Aren't you worried about getting sued?" the half Gargoyle asked. "I mean, they say a penny thrown down from here would crush someone's skull."

The dark blue-skinned gargess shrugged her shoulders, taking up her bucket, already full of shards.

"I heard humans are actually gathering them," she said. "They're selling them."

Lana looked at her, unbelieving.

"You're kidding," she said. "Do they know…"

*WHOOSH*

The air whirled Lana's hair, and made her kneel down in half a second, through which she knocked over the bucket, spreading the contents. As she dared to open her eyes, Lana saw Queens gliding over the courtyard.

"**ARE YOU NUTS?" **Lana screamed on the green-skinned Gargoyle with the large shoulder and knee spikes, her eyes blazing red.

His response consisted of waving and smiling happily, while behind him, Edward and the light brown one with the shark's fin were engaged in showing off some even more crazy stunts.

"If I just had a swatter large enough," the half gargess muttered to herself, and began picking up the shards, which had fallen out of the bucket while Ruth was staring at the males thoughtfully.

As she was nearly ready with cleaning up and to not look up, she heard the sounds of Gargoyles landing beside them.

"See, I'm the best glider in my generation," Queens bragged, standing with a swollen chest on one of the perches.

"Ha, in your dreams!" Edward commented, landing beside him.

"I say you can only see the gliding skill on the hunt," the one with the shark fin on the head commented. "The silence is the most important…"

"Can't you do something productive with all these testosterones?" Lana asked angrily.

Ruth watched this scene some meters away, holding her own bucket, feeling strangely attracted and disgusted.

"They don't get it," a voice beside her noticed, slightly amused. "They might as well try to court one of the statues down in the city."

Turning around, Ruth noticed that her small, smoke black-skinned brother had landed on the perch beside her, now kneeling and taking breath through his short, wide beak.

"You did?" she asked her brother.

"The magic spell helped," he laughed, driving his right claw over his head. "You must be very self-centered not to notice when someone who casts a spell to hold males off doesn't want anything to do with you."

Ruth stayed silent for a moment, staring at Lana still besieged by three males.

"Or that someone else is wanting to be seen…" she whispered to herself.

Shocked she had said this out loud, Ruth stared on her brother who stared back.

"Maybe…." he began in a soft tone.

"Brother!" Queens called him, preventing him from saying anything further. "Come."

"Lana had the right idea," Edward added. "We could go out on patrol, and see if we could catch Lucifia or one of her followers."

The dark-skinned Gargoyle groaned, following his siblings out of the castle after giving Ruth a last look.

Lana watched them leave with a satisfied grin.

**13.09.98; 22:27; Castle Wyvern, Atrium: **

The immortal stood at the Atrium, near some columns, watching over the surprisingly clean garden and remembering when he had been there the first time, when it was not so clean, partly because of the fight between him and….

"It is not a good idea," Macbeth heard a boy's voice he remembered from a long time ago.

"Don't you want to know…?" another boy's voice, Macbeth couldn't identify, began.

"Shhh," a girl's voice stopped him, sounding at the same time slightly irritated, defiant and angry. "He's hearing us."

Macbeth did indeed, though to be honest he had concentrated on such sounds out of a hard dying habit.

"I did," he said with a smile on his face.

Turning around, Macbeth looked at the columns, waiting until three… no four rather unhappy looking hatchlings came out.

"I heard you only after you began to speak," Macbeth said, staring amused on them. "You have gotten better at creeping."

Out of the hatchlings, only Jane seemed to give him a slight nervous smile on that praise, though she did stay in the background together with Eve who leaned on the column, her arms crossed as if to emphasize that she didn't want to have anything to do with that.

From behind them came Connor who greeted him politely, and…

Knowing three of the four faces he turned to the brown-haired, diluted blue-skinned hatchling who looked kind of mischievous, with an impression, which was strengthened by the indignation in his eyes, which was near defiance.

"You are Jarred?" the immortal noticed, looking at him. "Goliath told me about you."

"Why are you saying my grandmother betrayed you?" the hatchling asked, furious.

Kind of surprised by these direct words, Macbeth rubbed his beard.

"I only say the truth, lad," the former king said, trying to sound politely. "Look, I…"

"You lie!" Jarred shouted, his eyes glaring white. "She told me she listened to how you were planning to betray her."

Connor looked back to his two sisters, searching for help but finding none.

"Lad," Macbeth said, frowning, his tone getting a hint of stress. "I and your… _grandmother_ have fought about this a long time, so discussing with her is senseless, and I won't discuss this with you."

Without saying one word more, Macbeth left for the exit, leaving the hatchlings alone.

**13.09.98; 22:37; Castle Wyvern, Some floor: **

Broadway was holding a board with various additions like flour, oranges and milk, which were seemingly needed in the second kitchen, taking the opportunity to look if everything was all right there.

"I've had enough of this," a voice coming from the room in front of him said angrily.

"Fine, why don't you send me in the rookery for that?" another voice replied in the same tone.

"Jalapeño," Broadway hissed, walking forward as fast as he could without risking the board to fall.

Walking around the corner, he discovered Brooklyn and Lexington in a standoff.

"Do you think Goliath asked me before he set the punishment?" the second asked his rookery brother, glaring at him.

"When you sent us to the rookery you had already raised the bar!" the smaller gargoyle accused him, standing on his two legs.

"We…" Brooklyn began.

"Enough!" a loud voice stopped him.

Turning around, they both found Broadway looking at them… especially at Lexington.

"Come on, where is the point here?" Broadway asked his smaller brother.

"Angela is in the rookery because of that," Lexington told his brother, unbelieving he was actually defending Brooklyn. "How can you be so calm? She is your mate."

Though it was not meant that way, Broadway felt like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on him.

"Yeah, and I am actually cooking her meal, unlike you," the thick gargoyle commented sarcastically, yet after seeing it actually hit his brother he added. "We made our decision back then, and Goliath's decision wasn't really a surprise was it?"

Lexington looked for a moment at him, then his eyes turned to Brooklyn who had remained silent for a while, looking rather hard faced.

"Oh bugger it," the small gargoyle said.

Walking away, without turning around, he left his brothers behind and headed left until he found the television room. Entering, he discovered that a group of the clan, mostly elders but even three of his generation, were still watching the TV.

~ At least it isn't the Pack, ~ Lex thought sarcastically, as he watched Loraine Mccancy on the TV.

"Though official sources haven't yet made a statement for it, the latest occurrence raises once again the question of all the former reports of gargoyle activities before their _official _discovery." the reporter said, standing in front of the city hall. "The question will be how peaceful gargoyles really are if we…"

A short flickering at the right side of the monitor made Lexington frown.

"Lad, shouldn't you have duties to take care of?" a _very _helpful elder asked. "The kitchen always needs help."

Lexington held his face inclined for a moment, watching the TV.

"It is full already, and they said they needed no one," the small gargoyle lied while only listening to the words of the elders with half an ear.

"Then maybe you should ask the second…." the elder continued to be helpful.

"Since when has the TV had this much disturbance?" Lexington asked interested.

While the elder looked at the younger gargoyle with a frown, they looked around in the room in search for an answer.

"Since at least one month…" Hudson noticed, sitting on a sofa with Deborah leaning on his side.

Lexington once again looked to the television for a moment until the flicker appeared again.

"This could…" he whispered, but instead of ending the sentence he turned and quickly left the room, leaving some surprised gargoyles behind.

"What is the young one doing?" the elder asked the room in general. "Does he think he can escape his duties this way?"

Hudson, who looked like the only one in the room not surprised, rubbed his beard.

"Nay," he decided "Best is we do not talk about that outside this room."

His mate gave him a surprised glance.

"Do you know what this was about?" Deborah asked.

"Maybe," her mate revealed.

**13.09.98; 22:47; Castle Wyvern, Outside Elisa's Quarters: **

The knocks on the door were met by angry groans and the sound of quick activity in the room on the other side of it.

Still, when the door opened and Owen had to look into Goliath's unhappy face, he stayed as calm as ever.

"There are visitors wishing to see you," the major-domo explained.

"Visitors?" Goliath asked surprised, just to add more thoughtfully. "From the government?"

"The Canmores," Owen replied, and by going away he added. "They await you in the guest room."

Feeling the rest of his former good temper drop, the leader of his clan closed the door and looked to his mate who was sitting on her bed already putting on her shirt.

"What is it?" Elisa asked, reading her mate's face, adding more playful. "And don't tell me it is just about the bad timing."

Goliath gave her a long look as she thus pulled on her jeans.

"It is a _strange _timing," he admitted. "Besides, many in the clan still harbor resentment against them."

"And the leader?" Elisa inquired, putting on her shoes.

Goliath met his mate's eyes and sighed.

"They gave us the list," he admitted calmly, seeing his mate standing up. "The feud has ended, and maybe the time has come to put an end to the bitterness, too… this clan needs allies, now more than ever."

Elisa's response consisted out of looking surprised on him, and finally embracing him and giving him a kiss.

Seconds later, the mates walked down the floor, paying little attention to the other members of the clan or even one of Xanatos security force as they passed.

Reaching the room filled with soft couches, chairs and a large vitreous table, they found their 'guests' watching them with interest.

"Hello, Elisa…" Jason greeted them, looking up from his wheelchair. "Goliath."

The large gargoyle gave the former hunter a reserved nod, which was cautiously watched by Robin who stood behind her brother..

"Jason, what brings you here?" Elisa asked warmly and without a hint of suspicion in her voice, slowly nearing the siblings.

"We were searching for you, as your apartment was empty and your neighbors said you hadn't been there for weeks," Jason explained. "So we decided to ask your… friends."

"I live here now," Elisa explained, and for the first time she realized that it meant just that.

Jason looked at her for a moment, but didn't say anything.

"We are here because of the promise you gave us," Robin explained, stepping forth from behind her brother in a tone a level cooler than his. "We want to see our brother."

Elisa looked surprised at both of them for a moment, and then she shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I can call Chavez tomorrow and call her…" she explained, stopping when she saw Jason shaking his head.

"No," he said firmly. "Tonight."

This made Elisa and Goliath share a look.

"Why?" the latter asked suspiciously.

"We miss him. It is hard for us to be divided from each other for so long," Jason said, never taking his eyes from Elisa. "If we meet him now, we can talk with his lawyer tomorrow."

"I will call her now and tell you the result later, if you give me the number," the cop offered hesitantly, sensing a lie when one was told.

"We will ring once we have the number," Jason replied, grabbing the wheels of his wheelchair. "I understand that we're not welcome here."

He began to move with his sister following, but was stopped when Goliath stepped in his way.

"There is something we have to tell you first…" the leader of the clan began…

**14.09.98; 00:51; Castle Wyvern, Female's Shower Room: **

Filled by nearly all ages of female gargoyles, down to the hatchlings, the shower room was kind of vivid, yet dominated by a relaxed atmosphere.

"Training horror is ended for tonight," Lana said with relief, as she relaxed under the hot stream of water, for a moment forgetting what happened there not too many nights ago. "Are those just my muscles dying, or was she softer on me tonight?"

"Must be," Ruth replied, turning off her stream of water. "Or she was just occupied otherwise."

Both looked to a third female beside them who was very happy to be able to relax her muscles.

"So the rookery mothers forced you to it?" Lana asked Angela slightly amused while soaping her legs.

"No," her aunt said, staring ahead, soaping her wings. "They suggested it."

"That is why we left the rookery as soon as we could," Ruth noticed, occupied by cleaning her red hair.

Angela looked at her new sister at moment in surprise, and even Delilah, who cleaned herself in silence, seemed to listen in interest.

"Oh the rookery mothers are great," Ruth was eager to correct. "Loving, caring, helpful… just after ten years under their eyes you are happy to be able to spend the night outside."

"How was your childhood?" Lana asked, beginning to rub her tail.

"Wonderful," Angela replied with a smile. "The princess, the Magus and the Guardian were fantastic rookery parents… and Avalon is so peaceful and quiet."

"You miss it," Lana noticed in a soft voice, stopping the cleaning for a moment.

"Sometimes," Angela admitted half-heartedly, beginning to press some shower gel out of a tube. "Do you miss your old home?"

"Not so often," her niece admitted, and suddenly got aware that this was the truth…

"The castle is here," Ruth said, taking a towel to dry herself off, beginning with her hair. "But I miss the woods and shores… you could swim there very good on some nights."

Angela smiled, happy she was not the only one who had such feelings, yet as she did her eyes fell on a fourth gargess near them who seemed already to go if just because she hadn't taken part in the talk or any until now. She had just been listening intensively until the talk had come to the children… or more accurate, the hatchlinghood.

~ What could she say? ~ Angela asked herself, looking at her sister. ~ She was only a hatchling for week, and she spent the time unconscious in a cloning tube. ~

Goliath's daughter wanted to say something, but lacked the knowledge of what this could be. Yet before her mind could formulate something, Delilah already had put on her silver looking arm and leg bracelets, and left.

**14.09.98; 00:57; Castle Wyvern, Outside The Male's Shower Room: **

Burbank was late and he knew that that meant trouble, but the warm water seemed so much better than anything they had back in the labyrinth that he has lost track of the time, and his brothers had forgotten to wait for him it seemed.

When he hurried out of the shower room he rushed into a gray, hairless female warrior who carried a mop and a bucket full of dirty water. He knew this meant even more trouble.

"Haven't they taught you to use your eyes?" the hairless female asked the clone, as the dirty water flew over her feet claws and the freshly cleaned floor.

"Me sorry," Burbank said, taking two steps back when seeing the look in the gargess' eyes, forgetting the rules of higher grammatical for a moment.

"Sure," the female responded sarcastically, as she knelt down and took up the cleaning rag to take up the water.

"You dirt…" she began.

"Sister! You will only get into more trouble," the voice of a light red skinned female with white hair stopped her as she knelt beside her rookery sister, bringing her own bucket with her. "Let me help and you'll make it in time to the date."

"I could help," Burbank offered, feeling guilt lingering in his mind, but only got a glance of the female.

Realizing he should better go, Burbank began to move when he saw someone walking at the other side of the floor and started staring.

The hairless female looked up to ask him why he wasn't moving… but when she saw the look in the clone's eyes she followed them, discovering Deborah standing at the other side of the corridor, talking with a rookery sister and not even noticing them.

As her rookery mother moved away, the hairless female looked back to the clone and recognized the look in his eyes.

"You like her," she noticed, not hesitating a second.

"I do," Burbank admitted after thinking for a second. "But she is married, Talon explained this to us, it is an institution."

"Yes she was," the gray skinned female said sweetly, forgetting the cleaning, and making her sister look at her in alarm. "But she is divorced now… you know what that means?"

Burbank nodded.

"Sister…" the red skinned female warned her rookery sister from behind.

"Her former mate was too old so she left him, and now she is searching for a new one," the bold female explained helpfully, smiling. "If you ask her fast maybe you'll be the one."

Burbank thought about it for a second, then he nodded and left in the direction Deborah went.

"When our rookery mother finds out, you're dead," the other female told her sister. "You know that."

The bold one grinned and took up the cleaning rag, continuing to wash up.

"Maybe," she admitted. "But she will kill him first."

**14.09.98; 00:59; Castle Wyvern, Courtyard: **

Four females formed an open circle in one corner of the now just slightly populated courtyard.

"I mean, Paul showed me different tricks with the tax office, but after he died I somehow didn't get the trick…" Darlene explained, looking to Elisa, Fuchsia and Desdemona by her sides. "It just got over my head without a job. It was hopeless."

"An old college friend once had the same problem when her husband past away," the human in the circle said. "She had to move to a distant part of her family in Montana until she got back on her feet."

Darlene threw a short look to her left where two meters away Gem was playing with Bronx by toddling around the large gargbeast who seemed to want to lick the hatchling at every possible opportunity.

"Why must the human world always be so complicated?" Fuchsia asked thoughtfully. "Isn't there enough rich people?"

"It was this way in the middle ages, wasn't it?" Darlene asked.

Fuchsia nodded.

"Yes, but everyone except the king and his men seemed poor," the gargess noticed. "Now most humans seem to be at least as rich as the Princes back then, but they still have many beggars."

"Mother?" a voice stopped the others from answering.

Surprised, four faces turned to Jarred while Connor stood two meters away from him, looking really uncomfortable.

"Jarred?" his mother asked, surprised. "Haven't you both got your lessons?"

"Yes," her son said reluctantly, in a tone that got Darlene's ears up. "But I must know something."

Jarred looked insecure, reluctant, something which was so unusual for his mother to see that she had to work hard to hide a scowl.

"Come," Darlene said, as she lead her son some meters away where they could speak unheard, or at least far enough for Jarred to feel comfortable. "What is it?"

Jarred hesitated for a second.

"Is granny evil?" he asked, switching from one foot to the other.

Darlene just stared on him for a moment.

"Who said this?" she asked, hearing her voice come out softly, if only for the lack of power.

"No one, but they mean it when they talk about her," Jarred said, looking troubled. "And they say she attacked you tonight."

"She didn't attack me, she pushed me away." Darlene said, her mouth becoming dry. "There is a difference."

Seeing her son was still not convinced, the pregnant gargess knelt down to look at her son in the eyes, and taking a look to Connor to make sure her little brother heard it also

"You know that your grandmother is a very… passionate person," she said calmly, laying a claw on her son's right shoulder. "This means she can love deeply, but sometimes she lets her anger get the better of her."

"Sometimes?" Jarred asked doubtfully.

"Often," Darlene corrected herself, smiling slightly "Too often, and when she does she often does things which aren't good, and which she regrets later…"

~ How much does she really regret? ~ she asked herself.

"Partly this is about how long she's lived, and how many people she's already lost. But we are her family, her clan… and this means we stand by her and help her." the gargess spoke out loud, never letting her son's eyes go. "This doesn't mean we have to believe all she does… We just should try to help her see the world a bit more positively."

Darlene hesitated, not knowing what to say more for a second, so she rubbed her son's brown hair.

"So no, your grandmother is not an evil person," she explained, looking to both hatchlings. "Now go to your lesson before your teacher calls you."

Both hatchlings nodded, turning and quickly entering the castle.

As she watched them leaving, Darlene felt a coldness creeping into her heart.

**14.09.98; 01:04; Castle Wyvern, Library: **

Sitting on her table in line with others of her clan and reading the book given to her before the lesson actually began, Delilah felt that this was actually the best part in their whole time in the castle.

Learning to read came actually quite easy to her, at least compared to her brothers, and she even had dared to look at the few books they had in the labyrinth, though with small success.

One more reason she liked the lessons was the teacher.

It wasn't just that he looked like her brother, but because Hudson always seemed nice and calm when explaining something new to them, and he didn't do it as harsh as their trainer who taught them how to fight…. Most of all she liked his deep, warm voice.

"Const... constit…" Delilah stumbled silently. "Constitutional."

Feeling happy over this achievement, the hybrid looked up seeing their teacher's mate coming out of the door leading to the floor… and Burbank who met up with her, seemingly to talk to her.

They were too far away to hear what they were talking about, and no one but her seemed to pay attention, but her brother looked very nervous. Suddenly Deborah seemed to freeze, staring on the clone in what looked like disbelief.

The next thing her brother did was something Delilah couldn't understand, for he quickly touched the point on Deborah's back right between her wings with his right claw, the way Delilah had shown him to.

The reaction came instantly…

Deborah brought Delilah's brother down in an instant and violent movement and now glared at the totally perplexed and frightened looking clone, shaking slightly in something which **could** be anger.

Wanting to help her brother, Delilah stood up while the others at the tables, including the rest of the clones, still looked surprised, but a quick gesture of Hudson stopped her as the old warrior himself quickly rushed to his mate and his clone's sides.

Again she couldn't understand the words that were exchanged, but Hudson seemed to stay calm as his mate explained who still looked furious at Burbank.

Finally both older gargoyles seemed to want Burbank to talk, and when he did Deborah's eyes seemed to change, she didn't become less angry but more determined.

"Who?" she asked Burbank who still lay on the earth, which Delilah could understand.

Her brother answered, and the hybrid saw how Deborah and Hudson exchanged looks until the former second moved away.

Her teacher watched after his mate for a second, then he extended his claw to help Burbank up. As his clone stood securely, the old warrior seemed to exchange a few words with him until he gave him a pat on the shoulder and led him to his chair.

Burbank's siblings looked at him in surprise, asking themselves what had happened, and even when they would ask him later back in the labyrinth, he wouldn't tell them.

**14.09.98; 01:23; Northern Bronx, Near The Border of Westchester County: **

Gliding over the relatively calm north neighborhood of New York, the four gargoyles nevertheless didn't sway in their determination to protect their city.

"Remember, it's either Lucifia, Thailog or Roland we want," Edward said, smiling at his brown skinned rookery brother who glided beside him, his brown hair being disturbed around his fin through the wind "If we can catch them we will be heroes, and Lana will finally take notice of us!"

"Lana?" Queens asked after gliding from under Edward and his two other brothers, the smoke black-skinned and the light brown one, to appear at their left side. "There is a whole world with unmated females who would give their left wing to have a date with the heroes of New York."

Of these heroes, only the smoke black one took a look at the ground under them, discovering as much interest as he had in the hour before.

~ Funny that the second even let us go, ~ he thought. ~ If we really meet one of these guys, they won't even notice… ~

Yet it was a quiet area, and the smoke black one asked himself if…

***Zong* **

It didn't hurt, not a bit. In fact, if not for the feeling that something had hit him, very hard in his chest, he wouldn't have noticed it except for the feeling of weakness that overcame him.

Looking down he noticed that a small harpoon had cut through the left side of his chest; its head now resting at his back while the end was connected with a line, which seemed made of a strange metal.

The line lead down maybe ten meters under him, and as he could taste blood coming up from his throat, the smoke black warrior noticed the figure of a man, holding the gun that was connected with the line, wearing a black mask with three lines looking likes scars of blood on them.

~ The Hunter, ~ the smoke black one thought, remembering the stories that were told in the clan.

The man stood on a strange flying device, hovering in the air, which resembled one of the motorcycles the humans used, and just as the black one looked, the figure threw the line over the handlebars and pulled, bringing him down and making him feel the first bit of pain where the harpoon was moved.

His brothers reacted quickly, any female at once forgotten once they saw their brother in trouble, and glided by his side, Edward holding his left, and Queens his right shoulder to hold him up.

The light brown one meanwhile had his eyes centered on the attacker and prepared to dive down, half gliding, half falling in the man's direction with amazing speed.

With an even more amazing speed the Hunter, having held the harpoon gun's beginning with both hands, grabbed another gun attached to his right leg, aimed and shot.

Instead of a bullet, which probably would have missed, a large net exploded from the gun's mouth and trapped the attacking gargoyle, making him fall hard on the rooftop while electric shocks ran through his unconscious body.

Using both hands, the Hunter once again pulled the line, with the harpoon now going through the smoke black one's left lung, causing the gargoyle unbelievable pain as his remaining two brothers were trying to hold him up in the air.

"By three we let us fall down and ram him," Edward said over his brother's screams.

"**Are you mad?**" Queens shouted back, holding his brother's right shoulder as tight as he could

"Do you want to wait until the harpoon gets through him?" Edward replied, screaming out loud. "**Three!**"

They fell fast, letting the line go limp and relieving their brother of a bit of pain for the moment, which he probably would have thanked them for if not for the blood that was coming from his mouth.

As they reached the ground, falling beside their brown brother, the Hunter had already moved his gliding device straight upward, but in the second given Edward grabbed the still limp line and pulled hard, making the gun come down and the glider whirl around with its pilot working hard to stay on it.

Edward breathed hard, using the time to look after his wounded brother, whose blood seemed to come out of his mouth and the wound at the same time.

Looking back above them, he noticed that the Hunter once again stood firm on the glider, holding a sword in his right hand, a weapon which looked quite antique compared to his other weapons.

A moment later, the Hunter and the two gargoyles, who stood to shield their wounded brothers from anymore attacks, stared at each other until the Hunter put his sword back into its sheath on his back.

"Tell the demon the hunt will never end," the Hunter hissed. "She will not get me this time!"

With these words the hunter lead the glider away, leaving four shocked gargoyles alone, one of whom who was slowly bleeding to death.

**To Be Continued… **


End file.
